Two years ago, then Sophomore Michelle Weng walked into the Revere High School (RHS) stadium and up into the band section. She only had her trumpet, not even a uniform on. Weng did not know anyone or anything about RHS, but she was determined to be involved in the community.
Michelle Weng, now a senior at RHS, is active in both the academic and the extracurricular environment despite her previous knowledge about RHS being very small. Two years ago as a sophomore, Weng transferred to RHS from Copley High School and has been an avid member of the RHS community.
“At first, I thought it would be a hard transition, and it was. But after a few months of adjusting, I realized that it wasn’t as bad as I had made it out to be,” Weng said.
While taking honors classes, Weng manages to participate in the National Honor Society (NHS), Key Club, marching band, concert band, Mu Alpha Theta and backstage crew. Michelle shared her favorite part about being active in NHS and Key Club.
“[I enjoy] volunteering with friends, being out in the community and being able to help everyone out. It’s about getting [involved] in the community more. . . . volunteering and being a good role model [is what I enjoy]” Weng said.
While Weng enjoys being part of her community and teamwork, she also enjoys leading groups of people through their extracurricular experiences. Weng serves as the band president and a trumpet section leader, working to organize events for the section and band as a whole.
“I wanted to represent everybody in the way I wanted to be represented [when I was not in a leadership role]. I wanted to basically be the line between the directors and the student population. . . . [I wanted to] help out my section and be like all my other section leaders before; just make the section the best it can be,” Weng said.
Phoebe Cook, fellow senior and member of the trumpet section, described Weng’s leadership style as both band president and section leader.
“As band council president, she often puts matters into her own hands and leads independently but always makes sure to include everyone and listen to their opinions in whatever the situation is before making a decision. As a section leader, she never leaves anyone behind and makes sure everyone is on the same page, whether that be for new music, chorography or even basic skills some students might struggle with,” Cook said.
Eva Gortz, another member of the trumpet section, elaborated on Weng’s ability to lead the section.
“She’s confident and takes charge easily. She always helps everyone as best as she can,” Gortz said.
Along with being involved in band, Weng chose to participate in backstage crew for the Revere Players’ Treasure Island production. On top of all her other activities, Weng stayed after school during tech week, and gave up some weekends to help perfect the show.
“Basically I just move all the props onto stage and make sure that the show is functioning properly behind the scenes. The big thing is not letting the audience know if anything goes wrong,” Weng said.
Although it seems Weng’s schedule could not get more full, she is an active member of Mu Alpha Theta, RHS’s math honor society. Its use is to help students who enjoy math further their education and provide tutoring for those who need it.
“[I like it] because I’m a [nerd]. I’m kidding. I like learning more about math and the intricacies about [math] without being in class. It’s more laid back than actual school environment,” Weng said.
Despite the transition to RHS from Copley High School, Weng has maintained her activity level, getting more and more involved in the community. Whether it be as a leader, member of a team or bystander, Weng enjoys the events and clubs at RHS. Weng hopes to continue her education at Ohio State University and major in engineering.
